Bottle-stopper.



F. M. HARRISONL BOTTLE STOPPER.

, APPLICATION mum NOV. 16. 1909.

978,449. Patented Dec. 1 3, 1910.

WITPIEE 5:.

JLM.

FRANK M. HARRISON, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES H.

MODERMOTT, F MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed November 16, 1909. Serial No. 528,331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. a citizen of the Newton,

HARRISON, United States, residing in in the county of Middlesex andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in BottIe-Stoppers, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, 1s a specification.

This invention relates to bottle stoppers and more particularly to thatclass of bottle stoppers which are adapted to be readily applied to andremoved from the neck of a bottle.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle stopperwhich is adapted more particularly for use in temporarily closing themouth of a bottle after a portion of the contents of the bottle has beendispensed therefrom, to preserve the quality and flavor of that portionwhich remains, and also to prevent the entrance of germ life, and onewhich may be quickly applied to and readily removed from the neck of thebottle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bottle stopper whichis neat in appearance, simple and durable in construction, and whichlendsitself readily to advertising purposes.

Other features of the invention will be referred to in connection withthe specific description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in the improvedbottle stopper hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages ofwhich will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription.

The several features of the invention will be clearly understood from aninspection of the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a portion of the neck of a bottle with the stopper securedin position thereon to close the mouth of the bottle; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section; and Fig. 4is a top plan view.

- As shown in the drawing the stopper comprises a plug 1 of rubber, orother suitable material formed with a reduced end 2 which enters themouth 3 of the bottle 4 and with an enlarged portion or head 5 which isadapted to bear against the upper end of the bottle to close the mouththereof. The plug 1 is mounted about a button 6 which is made of metal.The outer end 7 of the button 6 is enlarged to form a head or shoulderbetween which and the lug 1 a'yoke 8 is held. The yoke 8 is f drmed ofresilient sheet metal and is provided at its central portion with a hole9 through which the body portion of the button 6 passes. The ends of theyoke 8 comprise two substantially S-shaped spring arms 10 which areshaped to engage the underside of a bead 11 formed at the upper end ofthe neck of the bottle. These spring arms yield readily to allow thestopper to be applied to or removed from the mouth of the bottle, andspring under the bead 11 to automatically clamp the stopper securely inplace upon the bottle.

In order to more securely clamp the stopper upon the bottle and also toprovide a convenient handle by the aid of which the stop er may bereadily pulled from the bottle, Fprovide a lever 12 formed of wirehaving its ends bent to form hooks 14 which pass through holes 15 in thearms 10, and the middle portion of the lever comprises a substantiallyU-shaped bend which extends at substantially right angles to the lane ofthe side arms 16 of the lever, an having the ends of this U-shapedportion merged into U-shaped bends 17 substantially parallel and spacedapart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the adjacent portion18 of the neck of the bottle. By this construction it will be observedthat when the lever 12 is pushed down from the dotted line positionshown in Fig. 2', the arms 16 move across the rounded ends 19 of thearms 10 and enter notches 20 therein. bear upon the lower curved edgesof the arms 10 considerable pressure must be applied to the U-shapedbend by the thumb of a person in the act of pushing the lever into theposition in which the stopper is clamped upon the bottle. The engagementof the arms 16 with the rounded edges of the arms 10 forces the upper orhooked ends 14: apart until the ends of the hooks encounter the innersurfaces of said arms, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Further pressureupon the lever 12 brings the bends 17 into engagement with the neck ofthe bottle, and causes them to frictionally enga 'e the same. The arms16 of the lever 12 yiel sufliciently l'Vhile the arms 16 9 ill] freedfrom the clamping action of the lever which then assumes the dotted lineposition shown in Fig. 2, and may then be grasped to pull the stopperfrom the bottle.

The outer face of the enlarged end 7 of the button 6 is finished with acap 22 which may be made of celluloid or any other suitable material,and may display advertising matter such as a trade-mark or the like.Thus it will be noted that the stopper is capable of repeated use and isadapted for use in hotels, clubs, hospitals and the like, in fact in anyplace in which it is desirable to dispense only a portion of thecontents of a bottle and preserve the quality of the remainder, andprotect it against the entrance of germs or any other foreign matter.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is g 1. A bottlestopper, comprising a yoke having members arranged to engage the neck ofa bottle; a plug carried by the yoke for closing the mouth of thebottle; and means engaging the ends of said members for clamping theyoke in position, substantially as described.

2. A bottle stopper, comprising a yoke having resilient arms adapted toengage the neck of a bottle; means carried by the yoke for closing themouth of the bottle; and means engaging the ends of said arms forclamping the yoke in position, substantially as described.

3. A bottle stopper, comprising a yoke having resilient arms adapted toengage the neck of a bottle; means carried by the yoke for closing themouth of the bottle; and a lever engaging the lower ends of said armsfor clamping the yoke in position, substantially as described.

4. A bottle stopper, comprising a yoke having yielding arms for engagingthe neck of a bottle; means carried by the yoke for closing the mouth ofthe bottle; and a lever arranged to engage said yielding arms andadapted to partially embrace and frictionally engage the neck of thebottle, substantially as described.

5. A bottle stopper, comprising a yoke having arms adapted to engage theneck of a bottle, and provided with notches; means carried by the yokefor closing the mouth of the bottle; and means for clamping the yoke inposition, said clamping means being held in said notches, substantiallyas described.

G. A bottle stopper, comprising a yoke arranged to engage the neck of abottle; means carried by the yoke for closing the mouth of the bottle; alever pivotally connected to said yoke and having a substantiallyU-shaped portion arranged to partially embrace and to frictionallyengage the neck of the bottle, substantially as described.

7. A bottle stopper, comprising a yoke having resilient arms providedwith notches in their lower ends; means carried by the yoke for closingthe mouth of the bottle; and a lever carried by said yoke arranged toengage said notches and having a substantially U-shaped portion arrangedto partially embrace and frictionally engage the neck of the bottle,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANK M. HARRISON.

Vitnesses CHAS. H. MoDERMo'rT, H. P. ROBERTS.

